Mechanism for rolling baby carriages and the like



G. W. MACKIE Feb, 7, 1950 MECHANISM FOR ROLLING BABY CARRIAGES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 2, 1.948

2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 N VEN TOR.

GEORGE W MAC/17E,

G. W. MACKIE Feb. 5?, 1950 MECHANISM FOR ROLLING BABY CARRIAGES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 2, 1.948

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M E W T T M 64 W Y 8 6 e m W G Patented Feb. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MECHANISM FOR ROLLING BABY CARRIAGES AND THE LIKE George W. Mackie, Scranton, Pa.

Application January 2, 1948, Serial No. 96

(Cl. 74--2'l) 3 Claims. 1

My invention relates to mechanism for automatically rolling baby carriages, and the like.

An important object of the invention is to provide mechanism of the above mentioned type which will release mothers from the constant care of babies, and thus afiord more time for other activities.

A further object is to provide mechanism for automatically rolling a carriage, or the like, such mechanism being designed to insure the safety of the baby in the carriage.

A further object is to provide mechanism of the above mentioned class which is easily assembled and disassembled, and which will need very little storage space when disassembled.

A still further object of the invention is to provide mechanism of the above mentioned class which is simplified in design and operation, light, adjustable to fit carriages of difierent sizes, and relatively inexpensive to build.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

Figure l is a plan view of the mechanism embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same in operation rolling a carriage,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of carriage attaching means,

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical section on line 2-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a driving gear train, and associated elements removed,

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded perspective view of track sections,

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of track sections and adjusting means therefor, and,

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of guard rails.

In the drawings, where for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred example of the invention, the numeral l2 designates a track assembly comprising connected longitudinal track sections 13 and Hi. The track sections l3 and I4 each include parallel longitudinal tracks or rails l5 and [6, which are L-shaped in cross section, and including outer longitudinal upstanding guide flanges l'l, and horizontal. wheel engaging webs or flanges l8. The L-shaped rails l5and lfigmay be lined with metal, if desired, to

2 increase their wearing ability, as shown. The rails and i6 of each section I3 and M are adjustably connected laterally, by means of fiat sliding rods 19, which are longitudinally slidable in hollow rods 29. The rods l9 and are suitably rigidly connected at their outer ends to flanges l8, and are substantially flush with the top surfaces of the same. The rods [9 and hollow rods 20 are in adjustable telescopic engagement, and have laterally registering longitudinal slots 2| and 22 formed therein, as shown. The slots 2| and 22 extend for substantially the full lengths of rods [9 and 20. Clamp screws 23, having nuts 24 are provided, to pass through the slots 2! and 22 and secure the rods l9 and 20 in their selected adjusted relative positions. The rails 15 and [6 are thus laterally adjustable through rods 19 and hollow rods 20.

At their inner ends, rails l5 and it of track section :3 are provided with L-shaped groups of longitudinal openings 25, to receive longitudinally extending dowel pins 25, disposed at the adjacent inner ends of rails I5 and [6 of the track section l4, and rigidly secured thereto. The dowel pins 26 enter openings 25, and are secured therein by transverse pins 2? and 28, which extend through transverse openings 29, 36 and 3! in assembly. The track sections [3 and M are thus detachably connected.

Z-shaped guard rails 32 and 33 are provided, and rigidly adjustably mounted upon rods [9 and 20, by means of bolts 34, which pass through the slots 2i and 22. The guard rails 32 and 33 extend longitudinally of rails l5 and I6, and parallel thereto, and include detachably connected guard rail sections 35 and 38. Each Z-shaped section 35 and 33 includes upper and lower horizontal longitudinal webs 31 and 38, and a cen tral longitudinal vertical web 39. In assembly, the sections 35 and 36 are arranged in opposed parallel relation, with the webs 3'! extending laterally inwardly, as shown. At their inner ends, each section 35 has a Z-shaped group of longitudinal openings 33, adapted to receive longitudinally extending dowel pins 4 l, rigidly mounted upon the adjacent ends of sections 33. The pins 4| and sections 35 have transverse openings 42 and 43, respectively, which register in assembly and receive pins similar to pins 21 and 28, The sections 35 and 3B of guard rails 32 and 33 are thus detachably connected. The guard rails 32 and 33 are adjustable laterally upon rods l9 and 26, through bolts 34.

Rigidly mounted upon the opposite outer ends of sections 35 and 36, are angle brackets and 45, upon which are rotatably mounted transverse horizontal shafts 46 and 41, carrying suitable belt pulleys 48 and 49, which rotate with the shafts. The pulleys 49 and 39 are adjacent to the ends of guard rails 32 and 33, and disposed beneath webs 31 thereof. An endless belt '59 engages about pulleys 48 and 49. The upper run of this belt is disposed beneath the webs 37 of guard rails 32 and 93. Secured to the endless belt 50, at the connected ends of the belt is an upstanding connecting bracket 52, pivotally connected to opposed U-shaped staples 53, which connect the ends of belt 59, by a pin 54, or the like. The bracket 52 has an offset head 55, having lateral notches -56, which interfit with identical lateral notches in an oppositely offset head 51 of a depending connecting bracket 58. A removable pin 59 engages between the offset heads 55 and 51, to detachabl connect the brackets 52 and 58. The top end of. bracket 58 is secured to a screw threaded stud 89, carried by a clamp section 6!, by means of a win nut 82. A companion clamp section 63 is provided, and the clamp sections 6! and 63 may be permanently secured to the axle 65 of a carriage S6, or like vehicle, by means of screws 64, as shown.

Arranged at the outer end of track section it, and detachably connected to such track section in the identical manner that track sections I3 and M are connected, is a short track section or drive mechanism support 6'5. Suitably rigidly secured to the support 6? and disposed near the transverse center of track sections island it is a small electric motor 98, including an armature shaft, upon which i rigidly mounted a Worm gear 69. The armature shaft of motor 68 projects inwardly longitudinally, toward the near end of belt 59, and is disposed parallel to the belt. Worm gear 69 meshes with a worm wheel or gear ?9, rigidly mounted upon a rotatable transverse horizontal shaft '5 i, the ends of which are journaled on support 8?. A gear 32 is also rigidly mounted upon shaft H, and spaced from the gear 19. Gear 32 is adapted to mesh with an axially shiftabl idler gear ?3, rotatably mounted upon a non-rotatable longitudinally shiftable shaft 'i', disposed parallel to shaft ii, and spaced from such shaft Ti, and toward the adjacent end of belt 5-9. Idler gear 13 is held against axial play upon shaft M, by any suitable means. Shaft 14 is suitably journaled upon support 97. Idler gear 25 is adapted to remain in mesh at all times with an elongated gear '55, rigidly mounted upon the pulley shaft ll. Worm gear 69 also meshes simultaneously with and drives a gear is, rigidly mounted upon a rotatable shaft Ti, journalled in support 5?, and extending parallel to shaft ii. A gear #9 is also rigidly mounted upon shaft 1?, for rotation therewith, and adapted to mesh with and drive the shiftable idler gear 13, in the opposite direction from that which gear 2'2 drives idler gear '13. Non-rotatable shiftable shaft I l has a lateral projection or lug l9 rigidly attached to it, at one end, and lug 19 engages in a slot so, formed in one arm 8! of a bell crank lever 82, pivoted to support 91, as at 83. The other arm 84 of bell crank lever 82 carries a pin 95, which engages in. a slot 88 in a bell crank lever 87. The bell crank lever 87 is pivoted upon a bracket 88, in turn rigidly secured to the outer side of adjacent section 33, as shown. Bell crank lever B! carries a pin or lug 89, which engages in a slot 99 in one arm of a bell crank lever 9|, pivoted to a rod 29, as at 92. The other arm of bell crank 9! is pivotally connected to a longitudinally shiftable long rod 92, as shown at 93. The rod 92 is made in two foldable sections, hingedly connected, as at 94. Rigidly secured to long rod 92 are a pair of spaced laterally inwardly projecting rods or arms and 96, which slidably engage in longitudinal slots 91 and 98, formed in guard rail sections 35 and 36. The rods 9'5 and 98 are at right angles to long rod 92, and are arranged close to top run 5! of belt '50, and extend laterally across the belt, Figure 4. The long rod 92 is parallel to and close to guard rail 32, as shown.

Safety stops 99 secured to the outer ends of support 91, and track section [3, as shown. These stops 99 are upstanding and rigid, and project above the track rails to engage the wheels of the carriage and stop the same if any part of the mechanism should fail, The stops are in the natur of a safety precaution to make it impossible for the carriage to run off either end of track i2. A cover Hill is provided for the gears, motor, and associated elements.

In use, the track sections 13 and M, and guard rails 32 and 32 are assembled and adjusted by means of rods to and 29. and associated elements. The track section can be adjusted to fit any standard width of carriage. The clamp sections 6i and 63 and bracket 58 may be permanently attached to the longitudinal center of the carriage axle. When the carriage 66 is mounted upon the track i2, it is simply necessary to slip pin 59 between offset heads 55 and 51, thus securing brackets 52 and 58 together, and operatively connecting belt 59 to the carriage.

The electric cord of motor 69 is plugged in, and the motor is started. The motor armature shaft carrying worm gear 69 revolves in one direction only, and is not reversible. With idler gear I3 in the position shown in Figure 5, and meshed with gears 72 and 15, the worm 69 drives gear 79, gears l2, l3, and i5, driving the pulley 49 in one direction. This causes the belt 59 to travel in one direction pulling the carriage 86 with it. Assuming that carriage 66 is being pulled rearwardly, or to the left in Figure 2, when the upstanding bracket 52 reaches the transverse rod 95 in slots 91, it strikes the rod 95 and moves it to the left end of slot 91, Figure 2. Simultaneously, this causes long rod 92 to shift to the left, Figure l, turning bell crank lever 9| clockwise. This will turn bell crank 87 counterclockwise, also turning bell crank lever 82 counterclockwise, shifting shaft 14 longitudinally toward rails i9. Gear T3 is shifted With shaft 74, and moves out of engagement with gear 12, and into meshed engagement with gear 78. Gear 18 is being driven in the opposite direction to gear 72, so the shifting of gears reverses the rotation of idler gear i3. This idler gear 13 is in engagement with gear 15 at all times, as stated, so the direction of rotation of gear 15 is thus reversed, reversing the direction of travel of belt 50. When the carriage reaches the other end of track l2, the bracket 52 strikes the rod 96, and shifts long rod 92 to the right in Figure 1. This, of course, causes idler gear 73 to be shifted back to its position shown in Figure 5, and the carriage again moves to the left, Figure 2.

The carriage will be moved back and forth continuously, until the motor 68 is stopped. The gear reduction is such that the belt travels quite slowly, and does not reverse its travel with a quick jerk. The mechanism moves the carriage similarly to the way a person would move it.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In direction reversing mechanism for use in connection with a connecting part which couples driving means with a carriage traveling upon a track, the combination with the connecting part of a rod extending longitudinally of the track, pins secured to the rod and arranged upon opposite sides of the connecting part to be shifted thereby, a pair of driving gears, driving connecting means for the driving gears to rotate them continuously in opposite directions, a shiftable gear connected with the rod to be moved alternately axially into engagement with one driving gear and out of engagement with the other driving gear, and a driven gear permanently engaging the shiftable gear and serving to operate the driving means coupled with the carriage.

2. In direction reversing mechanism for use in connection with a connecting part which couples driving means with a carriage traveling upon a track, the combination with the connecting part of a rod extending longitudinally of the track, pins secured to the rod and arranged upon opposite sides of the connecting part to be shifted thereby, a first pair of driving gears, shafts rotatably supporting the driving gears, a second pair of driving gears mounted upon the shafts for rotating the shafts, a gear engaging both driving gears of the second pair to rotate them in opposite directions simultaneously, a prime mover connected with said gear to drive it continuously in one direction, a shiftable gear connected with the rod to be moved alternately axially into engagement with one driving gear of the first pair and out of engagement with the other driving gear of the first pair, and an elongated driven gear permanently engaging the shiftable gear and serving to operate the driving means coupled with the carriage.

3. In direction reversing mechanism for use in connection with a connecting part which couples driving means with a carriage traveling upon a track, the combination with the connecting part of a rod extending longitudinally of the track, transverse pins secured to the rod and arranged upon opposite sides of the connecting part to be shifted thereby in opposite directions, the track having guide openings to receive the transverse pins and forming stops to limit the movement of the pins in opposite directions, a mechanical linkage including a pivoted bell crank lever and connected to the rod to be actuated by the rod, a shiftable shaft connected with the linkage to be shifted thereby, a gear mounted upon the shiftable shaft, a prime mover, a pair of driving gears operatively connected with the prime mover to be driven thereby continuously in opposite directions, the gear upon the shiftable shaft alternately engaging one of the driving gears and disengaging the other driving gear to be driven by the driving gear in opposite directions, and a driven gear permanently engaging the shiftable gear and serving to operate the driving means.

GEORGE W. MACKIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,054,911 Dodson Mar. 4, 1913 1,320,336 Morris Oct. 28, 1919 2,344,829 McAvoy Mar. 21, 1944 

